Hard Life?
by Emi.x
Summary: Call us a gang if you wish, but you know, the term friends that happen to break the law also works, ya know.' Follow Tenten, Hinata, Ino, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto and Rock Lee as they try to survive in the war zone they call 'home'. NejiTen, NaruHin
1. Chapter 1

**The Hard Life?**

Disclaimer; I can honestly say... I don't own Naruto

_Summary_; 'Call us a gang if you wish, but you know, the term friends that happen to break the law also works, ya know.' Follow Tenten, Hinata, Ino, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto and Rock Lee as they try to survive in the war zone they call 'home'. NejiTen, NaruHina, InoShika.

**Authors Note**; So yes, a new story. I thought I could have one in the nin world, and one out of it, while having one of them as a mix. It is sort of a gang story, but it is more that they are a group of friends that have been forced into a group to survive in this war zone world that is the Land Of Fire.

(Normal O.V)

Set the scene...

Zoom in. Room. Not big. Not small. A small thing in the middle. Scrap that. It is what the inhabitants of the house call a Christmas tree. A thing of wood. A few pines on it. Covered in broken baubles, and scraps of tinfoil.

Enter eight people. Late teens. Thin.

Sit around the 'tree'.

**Tenten P.O.V;**

We sat around the tree, making a ring around it.

I suppose when we call the tree a tree, we meant it in the loosest term possible, for what we were crowding around was what was once a fake christmas tree, new around thirty years ago.

"So remind me again where you found this?" Naruto said, gesturing to the tree. "And as to why we have it in the front room?"

"W-well, it's christmas for one..." Hinata started, only for the louder voice of one Rock Lee to take over.

"We need to celebrate to keep youthful, so when we found this tree in the dumpster, I dragged it home, and went on a hunt for decorations," Lee explained.

"Yes, but why?" Naruto repeated, not satisfied with answer he was given.

"Well, as you can tell, the current status of war on our land is still in place, with that it provides us with a difficulty to get gifts that we haven't stolen, and then when we steal we all go together, or in our assigned groups, therefore making it hard to get gifts, without the person they are meant for seeing what it is," I explained.

"So we have a christmas tree instead," Neji finished.

"We had to do something didn't we!" Ino stated. "Even if it is pathetic by any standards."

"And we can barely afford to risk our safety at the expense of a gift. We steal only to stay alive. To show the gangs we are not weak, to get money. Though at war food is not at a shortage as of yet, though it is rationed. Thanks to research that commenced before the war began, we now have these food rations," Neji said, gesturing to the pile in the corner. "But genuine food is always nice."

"I miss the excitement provided by christmas. Waking up in the morning with the stockings at the end of the bed, then running downstairs in order to exchange gifts with various family members, while your mum and nan cooked a large christmas meal, which was eaten while pulling crackers," I reminisced wistfully.

"Don't forget the christmas pud!" Kiba added.

"And when you used to put a match to it," Ino remembered. "The blue of the flame that covered it."

"It was always so troublesome, the build up," Shikamaru mutter from where he sat. "This is so much more simple."

"And the sense of relief we all made it through another year," Hinata whispered, trying to make everyone ignore Shikamaru's comment before a fight broke out.

"Hey, of course we will make it through every year!" Naruto yelled. "You have me!"

"Don't you mean due to team work?" Ino corrected.

"That's what I said," Naruto replied, pointing to himself.

"Well what carol are we going to sing first?" I asked, bored of the path that the conversation was going down.

"Rudolph the red noes reindeer!" Ino and Naruto replied in unison.

**HL?**

I sat up, my bum feeling numb from being sat for so long on the thin pillow.

"And where does Tenten think she is going?" Ino inquired.

"To stretch my legs, where else?" I replied, a small smile on my face.

"Why?" Lee asked, innocently.

"Due to the fact my bum has gone numb for being sat for so long," I answered, what was with the twenty questions.

"Mine too, can I join you?" Neji asked. I nodded, and stood there waiting for him to stand.

When he was stood beside me, we carried on walking beside me.

As we reached the door, I heard a few coughs from behind us, making me turn to face them.

"Hmm?" I asked them, slightly confused.

Kiba wolf whistled, while Ino snickered. Seeing my blank stare, Naruto began to hoot with laughter, while Hinata pointed nervously above mine and Neji's head.

We looked up at the same time, before looking at each other, blushing slightly.

Mistletoe.

"Who put that there?" Neji asked, calmly, glaring at Kiba, before switching his cold glare to Naruto.

"Hey, don't look at us dude!" Kiba said.

"Though, thinking about it, I wish I had... the look on your faces is priceless!" Naruto added.

"Then who was it?" I asked, again.

"Me," Ino said smirking. "Now, we all know it's bad luck not to kiss right now, so to avoid it, like you know you have to, pucker up."

Neji took my hand in his and raised it too his mouth, lightly kissing it.

"There." Neji stated.

"Not good enough," Ino replied. "It has to be on the lips."

I leaned in, ready to swiftly peck him on the lips.

"And has to last till I say it counts!" Ino added, before walking over to us. "I will be the judge, now Tenten, arms around his neck!"

I growled at her, before doing as she said.

"Neji, hands on her waist!" Ino instructed.

"Is this necessary?" Neji asked as he slipped his hands lightly on my hips. Even as we did as she said there was still quite a bit of distance between us.

"Well, pull her closer then!" Ino told him. He pulled me gently, as she said, his grip on me tightening slightly. Now I could feel his cool breathe on my cheek, sending small shivers down my spine. "Closer!"

This time I shuffled forward, so close we were almost touching this time. I heard Ino sigh from next to us, and she grabbed one of Neji's hands, placing it half way up my back, drawing me closer to him, while pressing our bodies together.

"Now, kiss!" She told us.

I stood on my toes, trying to close the distance between us, while he lowered his head towards me.

"Sorry," We whispered to each other just before our lips locked.

**Neji P.O.V;**

It took all of my control not to depend the kiss, but I knew now was neither the time nor place for that. Slowly we both began to draw away as our self control began to fray.

"Happy now, Ino?" Tenten asked, loud enough for only the said girl to hear, as we slowly pulled away, still so close I could feel her lips move against my skin.

I heard Kiba whistle in the background, while someone, who I believed to be Shikamaru, cough slightly.

I slyly hugged her closely once more, before regretfully loosening my grip, slowly allowing her to step away.

"Yes, of you go then, I now know all I needed, mission complete so to speak," Ino replied, skipping over to her seat.

"Well looks like that one may be, but as one ends another one begins," Shikamaru replied, pointing towards his phone.

"On Christmas day?" Naruto whined.

"Unyouthful trouble never sleeps Naruto-kun," Lee replied. "Look at it as training!"

"Well what seems to be the problem?" Hinata asked.

**Authors Note;  
**So you like?  
Well, teell me then :D  
well, I will update soon :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Hard Life?**

Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto

Summary; 'Call us a gang if you wish, but you know, the term friends that happen to break the law also works, ya know.' Follow Tenten, Hinata, Ino, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto and Rock Lee as they try to survive in the war zone they call 'home'. NejiTen, NaruHina, InoShika.

**Authors Note;** From here on in, I will try to update twice a week, on this story, misread and Heiku Yochi. I will update this one, then Heiku Yochi, then Misread. It may not always happen, but I will try :), but sometimes I will be swamped with homework, or will be busy at the week end. And once a week I will need to do school work. Yay. Well I have to, exams coming up :(. Well enjoy :).

**Tenten P.O.V;**

I sighed, wanting to just turn and round and ask them to sort it themselves. It had been such a good day so far, but here we were, bound to certain routines like everyday, not everyone out there knew it was Christmas I guess.

I crouched down beside Shikamaru and ran my eyes over the information his phone provided us with.

"It seems pretty simple I guess," I muttered from beside him. "But do we want to risk it?"

"I don't think I want to," Neji replied, peering over my shoulder.

"Four go, four stay?" I asked them, receiving a nod in return.

"Right, it seems someone else has decided to risk invading our area," I informed them as I turned to face them. "Shouldn't be hard, just seems like a scouting group, more then their fighting crew, but I guess, we can't let it slip..."

"So, we are going to have four stay, and four go," Neji stated.

"A welcoming party?" Kiba added with a grin.

"Shikamaru, Hinata, Naruto and Rock Lee, you stay here in case they try to go for the house," I told them, each one nodded. "So that mean, me, Neji, Ino and Kiba go."

"Why the teams like that?" Naruto whined. "I want to go too!"

"It is best if Hinata stays, in case of injury, she can have everything ready. Shikamaru is the tech kid here, if I remember rightly, meaning it is best if he is based back here, right? Then Rock Lee will be able to defend the base well if they get close enough to attack, while you, my friend, will be able to keep look out, while you are also a good long range and close range fight. So, if it comes to an attack here, you and Shikamaru can fight them as they advance, while Rock Lee runs out to help, and Hinata stays back and guards the door, for anyone who makes it pass," I replied.

"Look at it this way, you guys can carry on partying, while we go out and just stalk a load of idiots!" Kiba replied, though it was easy to tell he was happy about being chosen.

"Come on lets go, the sooner we go, the quicker we will be back," Neji stated, grabbing some replies and leaving the house.

I sighed and grabbed my weapon set, and Ino's, not bothering to sort it out now, preferring to wait till I was in the car.

**Ino's P.O.V;**

I ran to the side of the car, dashing past Neji, knowing that that Tenten would pick up my stuff for me.

I grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open, sliding easily into the front seat of the car.

"Well, what you waiting for?" I giggled as I saw Kiba come dashing out of the house, only for him to slow instantly to a walk, when he saw me sat their victoriously in the driving seat of the car. "Anyway, we all know I am a better driver then you."

"That is so not true," he replied, sliding into the front seat. "'We all know that'."

Sticking my tongue out at him, I buckled my seat belt.

"Ready?" I asked, though I didn't wait for a reply.

Pressing the button that launched the car into action, I cruised away from the house, building up speed as I made my way through the narrow, winding streets that I knew all to well.

"Where to," I asked, like a chaperone once did on a film, even copying the way that they would look at the passengers in the mirror in the middle of the wind screen.

"Take a right here, Shikamaru said, and then turn down a little alley to the right, and then we get out. You can stay in the car though," Tenten replied. I sighed, but I knew it would happen. The driver always stayed behind. I wished now that I had let Kiba drive.

I saw the alley, and easily swung the car down it, like always, but there was one thing that was not the same.

"GET DOWN INO, KIBA!" Tenten screamed from the back of the car, drawing her weapon out.

**Hinata's P.O.V;**

I walked down the hall, and into the first room on the right, arms full of the sheets we had for the beds in there.

Slipping one of my hands free, carefully making sure not to drop anything, I turned the handle, the door swinging open. I entered the room, and placed the sheets on the nearest of the two beds.

I took a bottom sheet out of the pile and quickly dressed the mattress in it, doing the same for the pillows and quilt, before repeating it for the other bed.

I walked briskly out of the room, and into the kitchen. I opened the cupboard under the sink, and pulled out the spare washing up bowl we kept there. I pulled it out and placed it next to the sink, before I turned on the hot tap. I filled the bowl with the hot water, which was now at just above a lukewarm temperature.

I carried it swiftly into the 'medical' room, placing it down onto the beside table which was conveniently between the two beds, before once again leaving the room to go back to the kitchen, where I took two 500ml bottles of water out of the fridge that we kept there in case of an emergency.

Walking back to the room I placed them on the bedside table as well, one on either side of the bowl. I got onto my knees, and peered under the bed, on the right, grabbing the green medical box that was kept there. I placed it on the bed I took it from, doing the same with the other bed.

Now that the room was ready, I left it, and went into the living room.

"Any news?" I asked as I took a seat on one of the pillows, bringing my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them tightly.

"None here," Shikamaru replied, eyes glued to the computer screen he had just turned on.

"There?" I probed.

"It appears they seemed to have run into a slight bit of trouble," Shikamaru replied, while I ran over to the screen. "I take it the medical room is ready?"

"Ha, they won't need it," Lee said as he entered the room. "Neji isn't my rival for nothing."

"I hope your right," I muttered, loud enough so that only Shikamaru could hear, not wanting a lecture from Lee, but thankfully, he was past passing through.

**Ino P.O.V;**

"Argh!" I screamed, as a bullet embedded itself in the windscreen. The gun had been fired from too far back, and was too weak, to penetrate the thick glass.

I quickly ducked down, keeping my foot on the pedal, and my hands on the steering wheel.

"Need a little help?" Kiba whispered from beside me. I nodded, and slid of the seat, while he slipped on it, his hands leaning over my head, opening a compartment of the car which allowed me too see out of it.

As soon as that was done, he went back to the other front seat, and opened the panel that was on his side, pulling a gun out, and poking it out of there, ready to shoot.

Somewhere close by I could hear the engine of a motorbike, two of them.

"Shit!" Neji cursed from the back.

"They are right beside us," Tenten muttered, before she added in a whisper, "Swerve to the sides!"

I nodded, doing as she said. I could hear the side of the car scrape against something as I manoeuvred it.

I kept it up, not knowing how long the alleyway was, but from what I could see through the small hole, there was no end coming up.

Suddenly there was a loud crash, glass showering my head. From what I could tell, someone had cracked the window on my side of the car, but I couldn't look up to check.

Before any of us had had a chance to probably respond, a hand grabbed onto my hair, and began to pull... hard.

I could feel my head lifting, while my body followed.

"KIBA! Do something!" I screamed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the black of Kiba's gun change it's position, now aimed at the arm that held my head, his finger on the trigger. Turning the muffler on, he shot at the arm, blood running out of the wound and onto my hair, and down my head.

I sunk back down to the floor, the hand rapidly dropping me, and recoiling away from the car.

"The ends coming!" I whispered in a frenzied panic when I refocused my sight to the hole provided for me to see.

"Swerve, but don't go down the turn," Kiba said, me nodding.

"Lucky there isn't one then," I muttered to myself, and I slammed my foot on the brake, swinging the steering wheel to the side, coming to a complete stop, just in time. "Now tell me your the better driver."

"I am the better driver," Kiba said, climbing into the back and leaving the car with Neji and Tenten.

**Hinata P.O.V;**

"So far, so good," I muttered.

"I guess so," Shikamaru replied, smirking at the actions we had just witnessed on screen.

"SHIKAMARU!" Naruto called from upstairs, though the shout was quickly followed by his footsteps. "LEE OUTSIDE NOW!"

"Spoke to soon," Shikamaru whispered to me, getting up and grabbing a gun.

"Ready to defend the house," Naruto said to me, as he dashed into the room, gun in hand. I nodded. "Shikamaru, with me."

They both dashed out of the room, and back up the stairs to the attic, the best place to shoot from.

Sighing I stood up and walked to the front door, peering out of the one way glass.

"I guess I did speak to soon," I sighed.

**Tenten P.O.V;**

I jumped out of the door, Neji and Kiba close behind me, before running straight over to where the bikes lay on their side, riders pulling of their helmets. Six of them in total, compared to our three.

You could clearly see the leaders of the group. A girl and two boys. The hung back, watching as their three comrades ran at us, only smiling to themselves as we easily cast them aside.

The girl had long sandy hair, pulled into four pony tails, the hair jutting out of them messily. The boy who stood to the right of her had thick red hair, a kanji for love tattooed there, his green eyes unblinking, surrounded by thick black bags from many a sleepless night. To her left was a dark haired boy, only some of the hair visible under the purple hood of the jumper he wore, but just from that much I could tell it was spiky and thick.

We fell into a similar formation, Neji at the front, me to the right, Kiba to the left. As we stood there gazing at the unfamiliar trio, we slowly dropped our fighting stance, standing straight like the other group before us.

Suddenly the blonde girl at the centre of the trio dived toward Neji, who threw her at me. Knowing what he wanted me to do.

Waiting for the right moment, I began to jump, bringing my leg up as I did so. As the girls body came towards me, my leg slammed into her stomach, and my body spun in the air, kicking her against the wall. (**A.N; **that was like in slow motion.)

Landing in an upright position, I stood as we were before, very much at ease, while the girl that had charged wiped the small trail of blood away that was slowly leaking from her mouth, spitting the rest onto the alleyway side.

Standing up, she walked back to the centre of her small group.

As she stood there, I couldn't help but cast a glance at the dent that had been left in the wall, smiling to myself at the mere size of it.

"So who are you guys anyway?" Kiba said with smirk as he too eyed the dent.

"Sabaku No Gaara," Said the red head.

"Sabaku No Temari," answered the blonde.

"Sabaku No Kankuro," replied the brunette, before turning to whisper something to Temari who did not respond.

"Siblings," the red head, who identified himself as Gaara added, receiving a nod from our end.

"So, how much do you charge then?" Kiba asked innocently, eyeing the girl, Temari.

Kankuro growled, and went to run forward, till Gaara slid in front of him in a blink of the eye, restraining him.

"He's mine," The red head said, advancing towards Kiba, smiling the sort of sick smile that came back in a nightmare.

"I will take the girl then," Kankuro muttered.

"The names Tenten," I stated, everyone's eyes turning to face me. "I thought you would like to know the name of the one who is about to kill you. It's polite I heard."

"The names Kiba," Kiba smirked, laughing slightly, before engaging in a fight with Gaara.

"Neji," He muttered as he grabbed Temari's hand as she went to land a punch on him.

I smiled as I ran at the disheartened brunette, grabbing his shirt and pushing him against the wall, holding a firm grip on him.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. "Scared you are stuck with the weak one?"

He nodded as a reply, a smirk plastered on his face.

"No worries about that any more then," I told him, kneeing him in the stomach, followed up by a swift punch to the face, a crack coming as his nose broke under the pressure. "Though I do prefer using weapons."


End file.
